super crystalate snooker balls.

[luke-h]

Can anyone shed some light for me.

Are the old super crystalate snooker balls the same as the new aramith super crystalate?

Why aramith still sell super crystalate if their pro 1g is the better ball?

[Cannonball]

Can anyone shed some light for me.

Are the old super crystalate snooker balls the same as the new aramith super crystalate?

Why aramith still sell super crystalate if their pro 1g is the better ball?

It's a long story but Aramith bought SC to wipe out the only viable competition in Europe. SC balls are made from phenolic resin the same as Tournament Champion/1Gs are. The colouring is slightly different but the current SC is basically a TC ball.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystalate

I have no idea why they make this ball as I have no idea why anyone would want to buy it, perhaps for the more vivid colouring, is that worth £40 extra per set? For another tenner, one can have 1Gs.

[vmax4steve]

Can anyone shed some light for me.

Are the old super crystalate snooker balls the same as the new aramith super crystalate?

Why aramith still sell super crystalate if their pro 1g is the better ball?

Aramith sell Super Crystalate balls as a trade name only, they own the patent for the material and thus own the trade name as well, but they are made from phenolic resin. They are a superior set as their weights are more closely matched, I have a set myself, but super crystalate is no longer manufactured by Saluc (Aramiths parent company).

Being the cynic that I am I would say that Aramith are simply trying to sell snooker ball sets made from phenolic resin badged as super crystalate to fool people. They have been selling these balls ever since they bought out the original makers over thirty years ago, and the snooker rules at that time stated that super crystalate balls had to be used in inter town, county and pro matches, so all clubs affiliated to leagues needed them.
They believed that their product was superior and that people wouldn't notice the difference, they're wrong on both counts.

[anish147]

VMax - I'm looking to buy a second hand set of balls. Just to clarify, for someone of my standard - regular 30 breaks/occasional 40-50s - the "super crystalates are good enough compared with 3g/1g right?

[vmax]

VMax - I'm looking to buy a second hand set of balls. Just to clarify, for someone of my standard - regular 30 breaks/occasional 40-50s - the "super crystalates are good enough compared with 3g/1g right?

A good set of original SC's are better, no kicks except when there's a chalk mark between the contact point of the two balls. Aramith SC's are no different to their TC or 1g's and they kick when clean, when dirty, with or without a table heater or super fine cloth, when you use Toam or Triangle or Master chalk and especially when you're on 79 and have that easy 3/4 ball yellow for the colours clearance

BTW you can tell the difference by the sound of the contact, a soft click for the phenolic resin balls compared to a sharper harder click for the original SC's.

[ste bed]

I have always preferred playing with super crystalate ball than the aramith tc’s

[anish147]

Thanks guys - much appreciated.

To get an original set of SC, they must date back 20-30 years presumably? Otherwise it's just the Aramith TC branded as SC - is that correct?

[Mr-Glen]

I’m glad I read this as I have an original set of Super Chrystalate balls that came with the table I bought. I never used them as the other three sets seem in better condition. I will now polish and clean them and give them a go.

[DeanH]

welcome to TSF
let us know how you get on with them

[Mr-Glen]

Cleaned them up and played a frame with them. They were really nice to play with actually, felt heavier than the Amarith tournament champion I think, but difficult to say without weighing them (which I will at some point). They seem to mark a lot easier for some reason. One thing I couldn’t hear was a massive difference when knocking balls together in hands, I believe these Crystalate balls are a different material, so should sound slightly crisper?

[DeanH]

I will be interested in the weight across the set you have.
Yes, I have found old SCs more difficult to move around the table.
thanks for the update

[Mr-Glen]

So the SC balls nearly all weigh in at 140g. Apart from about 3 which are 141g

[DeanH]

so the same weight region as TCs
just react differently
thanks

[Mr-Glen]

Yes exactly but my TCs seem to have a larger weight margin. Varied between 138-143g